July 24, 2015

This video was recommended to me by YouTube and they were spot on. I LOVED this video of Jeff Furr showing his camping trailer that he built from a Harbor Freight Trailer. It’s a long video, but it taught me so much.

After watching it, I wondered if they slept in the camper or only used it for galley and gear storage. Fortunately, someone already asked that question. Here was his answer:

I just use it for hauling gear, also for water storage and power supply. I had considered making it into a sleeper at some point but not at this time.

Here is a slideshow of the trailer build.

The most important thing I learned from this video is the existence of hurricane hinges. I have seen many teardrop builds and everyone has trouble with the hinges leaking. They’ve done things to prevent the water from entering at that point, but all of them end up with leaks. I had trouble with my teardrop galley because of that as well.

With hurricane hinges, the water is less likely to enter the camper because it’s designed to keep the water out. I had NO idea that they existed and suddenly, my camper build project has gotten that much easier. The hatches over the bed bunks will have hurricane hinges!

Every time I look at the camper build projects online, I learn something new. I am very excited!

At their Tenth Anniversary, they made a Wonderful World of Disney. They talked about the new features and there is even a cameo of Mary Blair talking about her design for It’s A Small World.

They are going all out on their nightly fireworks. Here is a video of the complete fireworks show for the 60th Anniversary.

Disneyland is one of my favorite vacation spots and it has been a couple of years since I’ve been there. I guess I really should go. I’d hate to miss the 60th when I’ve been to two of the other huge celebrations.

July 13, 2015

To prevent cool air from escaping seal the top of the cooler with a DIY cooler gasket. Cut a sheet of thin closed-cell foam the exact dimension of the cooler interior. You can find such foam at most sporting goods stores. Or recycle an old foam sleeping pad. Just place this cooler gasket on top of the loaded ice chest. No foam? No problem. Several layers of newspaper will work wonders.

I’ve never tried this, but these southern Utah summers just kill ice in a cooler. Heck, a fourth of the bag melts on the drive from the convenience store back to camp. I’m about willing to try anything to keep my cooler cold.

A company from France called, Zodiac Seats France, has applied for a patent using hexagonal chairs that face each other to save room.

Instead of the relative privacy of sitting in a row, you have to endure another person (or two) facing you the entire flight.

This isn’t the first time a company has tried to cram more passengers on a plane. Back in 2013, an Italian design firm thought that switching out your uncomfortable plane seat for a saddle would be better.

THIS is why I drive our trailer all over the country instead of “saving” time flying. They don’t care about me. They don’t care about my comfort. All they care about is cramming me into a tighter and tighter space to maximize their profits.

To the airlines, we are not humans. We are cattle. We are to be packed into a plane so tightly that we cannot even move.

There is a special hell for the designers of both of these seats. They are continually trapped on the tarmac, waiting for their flight to be cleared in the bad weather. The fasten seat belt light is forever on and they are enclosed in their own inventions.

July 7, 2015

Every two weeks, a camper flips on I-15. This week, the unfortunate souls were traveling from California, heading home after the Independence Day weekend. Thankfully, none of the passengers in the truck were injured, but their camper looks like a total loss.

These photos from STGnews show the damage to the camper after it had been put upright. You can see a video of the damage on the STGnews website.

As wonderful as our campers are, they can’t withstand the forces of wind from turning them topsy turvy. A little bit of sway can turn into a lot of heartbreak. Seeing the sides of this camper ripped out as if they were made of paper reminds me of how fragile they are.

This was my biggest concern when I worried about getting a bigger camper. Having a tent trailer, means that it’s almost impervious to wind. It was even better than my teardrop camper in that respect.

When I see a fifth wheel or huge bumper pull camper being pushed off the road like a toy by the wind once or twice a month, I remember why I put up with popping the trailer every time we camp and I’m grateful.

July 2, 2015

I love how detailed she is about the features inside and out. There is no galley on these campers, so they are just for sleeping. At only 635 pounds, though, they are a PERFECT choice if you have a small car like a Smart Car or a Prius.

I especially like the windows and their shades.

You can have privacy with the little shades and light when they are opened. The shape of the window really makes the myPod seem so cool and spacey.

What I don’t like is the entertainment system.

I don’t WANT a TV, stereo and speakers. I just don’t want them. I have an iPad. That is good enough for me when I’m traveling, so adding all that other stuff is just an added expense and waste of space as far as I’m concerned. I would much rather have a galley.

The myPod isn’t what I’m looking for in a teardrop, but the fact that it’s so lightweight that it could be pulled by my Prius is VERY inviting. I am always impressed by Little Guy and I can’t wait to see what they do next!